Greg Whitman

Just got back from the grocery store and… what on earth is happening to prices?
Same cart I get every week — eggs, chicken, veggies, a few snacks — and somehow the total jumped by $40 compared to last month.

I thought maybe I’d grabbed a few extra things, but nope.
Turns out food-at-home prices are up again this fall — especially meat, coffee, and sweets.
It’s wild how fast it sneaks up on you.

I’ve started making little adjustments just to stay sane:
- One “cheap meal” day per week — nothing fancy, just pasta or soup
- Comparing prices at two stores before I shop
- Buying fewer impulse snacks (hardest part 😅)

Still feels like everything costs more no matter what.

Anyone else feeling this squeeze?
Drop your state and how much your grocery bill’s changed lately — curious if this is just here in Texas, or if everyone’s seeing it.

US consumer inflation accelerates; weekly jobless claims approach four-year high U.S. consumer prices increased by the most in seven months in August amid higher costs for housing and food, but a surge in first-time applications for jobless benefits last week kept the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates next Wednesday.

My wife and I were just talking — Halloween used to be fun, not a line item in the budget.
Last night we went out to grab a few bags of candy… and I swear, everything’s higher.
A regular 12-oz bag of chocolate that was $8 last year is now $11. Some are even smaller, but cost the same.

Reuters says the average American will spend about $192 this Halloween — up from around $172 last year.
Here’s the article if you want to feel better (or worse):
https://www.reuters.com/business/why-cost-halloween-is-creeping-up-2025-10-17

I’m not throwing a big party or going crazy with decorations — just handing out candy to the neighborhood kids like always.
But somehow, even that feels expensive now.

We ended up grabbing one bag of chocolate, one of sour candy, and called it a day.
No fog machine, no inflatables this year. Just a porch light, a pumpkin, and a lot of nostalgia for when Halloween didn’t cost a small fortune.

Anyone else feeling it this year?
What’s Halloween running you where you live?
Drop your state and how much you’ve spent so far — I’m curious if this is just Texas, or if the whole country’s seeing sticker shock this spooky season. 👻

Why the cost of Halloween is creeping up This was originally published in the On The Money newsletter, where we share U.S. personal finance tips and insights every other week. Sign up here to receive it for free.

My electric bill came in at $185.76 this month — just me, my wife, and our little Texas home.
Nothing fancy. No mansion. Just normal life.
And here’s what’s weird: energy prices are set to spike again this fall after a bunch of subsidies got axed.
Texans are already seeing monthly rates between $168 and $193 after delivery fees.
Most homes run around 15-18¢ per kWh once everything is added.
Meanwhile, car insurance premiums are creeping up, groceries never seem to get cheaper, and everything feels like it’s pressing in.
I started tracking every single cost — insurance was my first win. Switched providers, trimmed extras — cut nearly 15 % off my premium.
But electricity is tougher to crack. Grid upgrades keep getting delayed, power plant projects shelved, and the demand from data centers is making things worse.
We can’t just sit back and let it happen.
If you’re a driver like me, you’ve got to question everything: rates, fees, renewals. Demand transparency.

Stay sharp, friends.

US energy prices to spike on Trump's axing of grants, senator says The Trump administration's plans to cancel nearly $8 billion in Energy Department grants are illegal because contracts had already been signed and will cause consumer energy prices to skyrocket, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate energy committee said.